Improvement in spool-thread regulators for sewing-machines



W. H. HAWKINS.

Spool Thread Regulator for Sewihg Machines.

Patented June 5, 1866.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICEO VILLIAM H. HAWKINS, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK,ASSIGNOR TO HIM- SELF AND AMES D. ORNE, OF THE SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT lN SPOOL-THREAD REGULATORS FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 55,4 [7,. dated June 5,1866; antedated May 30, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. HAWKINS, of Rochester, in the county ofMonroe and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedThread-Regulator for Sewing-Machines; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which willenable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which Figure l is a side elevation of the device. Fig.2 is a top view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken in theline 00 00, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

Much embarrassment occurs in using sewing-machines where the thread isdrawn directly from the spools by. the thread, when it first commencesto unwind, catching on the flanges of the spool and uncoiling so rapidlyas to fly over the ends of the spool and wind around the spindle. In anysuch case the threadwill break and become somewhat soiled. The object,therefore, of my invention is to remedy this di-fficulty; and itconsists in clampin g or holding the spool between two metallic arms orplates, one of them operating as a slide, by which the apparatus can bemade to conform to different-sized spools.

To enable others to understand my invention, I will proceed to describeit.

A represents a spindle, which is to be atached to a sewing-machine inany suitable place, and a spool of thread, B, is shown in red as beingplaced upon it.

G represents'one of the arms or plates of the device. It has formed uponits lower end an eyv: or sleeve, to, through which the spindle Aextends. The length of this arm is intended to be greater than thediameter of the largestsized spool that would be used. Having allowedfor this length I bend the strip of metal at right angles to the arm C.This I call the blade, and have designated it by the letter D. Throughthis blade I make a slot, b, running in the direction of the length ofthe blade, through which the thread is drawn.

I will here remark that it is not necessary that the arm and the bladeand the sleeve should be in one piece, for it is obvious that two orthree pieces could be suitably connected together and produce a similarthing; nor is it necessary that the slot 1) should be as illustrated inthe drawings; for instance, transverse slots or holes could be made inthe blade and serve the same purpose.

E is the other arm. This I term the slide or clasp. It has an eye in itslower end to allow its being placed upon the spindle. The upper part ofthis slide has a head or plate, F, made by bending over the top, or itmay be a plate attached to it. This plate F is provided with lips cl d,to allow of the edges of the blade D being inserted under them. The saidslide is made or bent so as to have enough springing power to keep itfrom casually movingout of any position in which it may be placed.

To use the device the spool is placed upon the spindle A and shoved upto the arm 0, the sleeve to on said arm entering the bore of the spool.The slide or clamp E is then put ppon the spindle, the latter passingthrough the eye thereof, and the blade I) pressed under the lips d d,and the slide E crowded up against the spool. Thus it will be seen thatthe spool will be confined between the arm (3 and slide E in such mannerthat the coils of thread cannot fall over the ends of the spool, andthus the purpose of my invention is accomplished in a manner that willnot interfere at all with the tension of the thread, or otherwise, tothe hinderance-of the working of the sewing-machine.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- Theadjustable thread-regulator herein described, the same consisting of theslotted arm 0 D I), sleeve a, sliding arm E, and plate F, arranged tooperate in the manner and for the purpose specified.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 1st day ofSeptember, 1865.

WILLIAM H. HAWKINS.

Witnesses:

' L. B. KING,

E. F. STLLWELL.

